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Rugby star Ilona Maher<\/a> is a two-time Olympian, a \u201cDancing With the Stars\u201d alum<\/a>, a social media favorite and now a Barbie doll. <\/p>\n Mattel announced Monday that it had assembled a team of four international rugby athletes to help encourage girls to embrace their confidence and stay in sports. The new \u201cTeam Barbie\u201d campaign is to celebrate International Day of the Girl<\/a>, which is Oct. 11.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all doubt ourselves at times, myself included,\u201d Maher said in a statement. \u201cIf sharing my story can inspire other young girls to believe in themselves the way I have, then I\u2019ll have truly made an impact. Being part of Team Barbie is about showing girls that confidence isn\u2019t something to shy away from, but something to own.\u201d <\/p>\n Also part of Team Barbie are Ellie Kildunne from the U.K., New Zealand\u2019s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Nassira Konde from France. <\/p>\n A breakout star at the 2024 Paris Olympics<\/a> even before the rugby sevens team\u2019s historic bronze medal<\/a>, Maher became known for her social media videos that offered a humorous glimpse into the day-to-day life of an Olympic athlete. She has also used her platform to empower women, champion body positivity and help raise the profile of rugby in the U.S. <\/p>\n The Barbie doll versions of international rugby stars Ellie Kildunne, left, Ilona Maher, Nassira Konde and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.<\/p>\n (Mattel)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n \u201cAs women, a lot of times our body has been this object to be looked at and to be objectified, and I hate that there\u2019s girls out there that feel like they don\u2019t have a purpose for their body, and so they want to change it constantly,\u201d Maher told The Times last year. \u201cTo get into sports and a sport like rugby, a sport like canoe, and track and field gives your body a purpose, shows what it can do and what it\u2019s capable of. It\u2019s not just something that is for others to judge.\u201d <\/p>\n As part of its campaign, Mattel conducted a study to try to better understand why girls tend to stop participating in sports. The research found that only 53% of girls ages 6 to 14 feel confident while playing sports and that 1 in 3 girls stops playing sports by age 14 \u201cprimarily due to body confidence concerns, self-doubt, and a lack of visible female role models.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cAt Barbie … [w]e\u2019re committed to breaking down the barriers \u2014 from gender stereotypes to self-doubt \u2014 that hold girls back from realizing their limitless potential,\u201d Krista Berger, the senior vice president of Barbie, said in a news release for the new campaign. \u201cBy showcasing the stories of incredible role models whose confidence has fueled groundbreaking success, we\u2019re showing girls that the future of sports \u2014 or wherever their passion takes them \u2014 is theirs to claim, with Team Barbie cheering them on.\u201d <\/p>\n The Team Barbie campaign is not the first time the company has put the spotlight on athletes. Last year, Barbie teamed up with WNBA icon Sue Bird<\/a> as part of its 65th anniversary celebration<\/a>. Barbie has also teamed with the Chicago Sky for Barbie-themed game days<\/a> in the last two WNBA seasons. <\/p>\n